In battered Baton Rouge, a rough summer winds down
Flood response is a unifier, some say
A grueling summer for Baton Rouge that started with a racially charged officer- involved shooting and the murder of three police officers is winding down amid flooded streets and a visit from President Obama.
Some residents believe the Louisiana city on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River will emerge stronger from the somber parade of tragedy.
“This city has been through a lot, and it has been painful for everyone,” Lorri Burgess, a community activist and former city councilwoman, told USA TODAY. Burgess, 53 and a life- long resident, said cleanup efforts have strengthened community bonds.
“Black, white, if you didn’t get flooded, you pulled up carpets for friends. It makes the toughest people pretty humble,” said Burgess, who is black. “People think more clearly about what is fair and what is right.”
Historic flooding in southern Louisiana has put Baton Rouge in the national headlines for more than a week. Photos and video reveal devastating flooding, heroic water rescues and homes and property trashed by walls of water.
Obama arrives Tuesday to witness firsthand the destruction and bring hope to exhausted residents. More than 100,000 people in the state have registered for federal emergency aid, and more than $ 55 million has been approved to help with temporary rental assistance, home repairs and other immediate needs.
Valerie Bourgeois, owner of Bourgee’ women’s apparel shop in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood, says the shootings are still on people’s minds.
“We need to continue to fight injustice,” Bourgeois, 56, told USA TODAY.
She says the floods are bringing people together, and that could help the city going forward.
“We are building relationships, and when you have a relationship you can sit down and discuss things,” she said.
Burgess said that issues placed on hold by the flooding will resurface. “They are important, but are they as important as so many people losing everything? The floods are a powerful punch,” she said.